Location: 27.18 degrees north latitude; 78.02 degrees east longitudeElevation: 561 feet
Weather: temps in the upper 70s, with very foggy/hazy skies
The Mughals were an Islamic imperial power of the Indian subcontinent. Mughal rule began in the early 16th century, spread to most of the subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century with the rise of British colonialism. The classic period of the Mughal Empire starts with the accession of Akbar the Great in 1556, continues with his son Jehangir (1605-1627), his son Shah Jahan of Taj Mahal fame (1627-1658) and ends with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. In those relatively short 150 years the Mughals bestowed upon the world an incredible collection of architectural wonders. Fortunately some of those marvels still survive intact today and there may be no better place that bears witness to the majesty of the Mughals than the city of Agra in northern India. . .
Chini-Ka-Rauza
Chini-Ka-rauza is fairly well hidden down along the bank of the Yamuna River. We can't get there along the usual road because there's a wedding ceremony blocking that particular street this morning, which is not an uncommon occurrence in this country. One is just expected to find another way to get where one needs to go. The driver stops about three times to ask for directions and/or confirmation that "this" street will get us to our desired destination. It feels like we're getting close, as I think I see the river, but what do I know?!. A minute or two later I do see the river, but now the last turn we want to take is blocked by a truck. The owner/driver is either nowhere to be found or simply doesn't feel like moving his truck at the moment. We walk the rest of the way, but we arrive nonetheless.
The Chini-Ka-Rauza is a Persian-style tomb of Afzal Khan, a poet and high official in the court of Shah Jahan. It was built between 1628 and 1639. It was covered with bright blue tiles back in the day; only a few remain. It must have been a stunning sight when it was new. . .
A couple of the auxiliary structures. . .
Itimad-ud-Daulah
The Itimad-ud-Daulah is the tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg, a Persian nobleman who was Emperor Jehangir's chief minister. His daughter, Nur Jahan, built the tomb between 1622 and 1628.
a lot of the following is borrowed from Wikipedia:
The mausoleum itself is set on a base about 50 meters square and about 1 meter high. The mausoleum is about 23 meters square. 13 meter high hexagonal towers adorn each corner. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble (the first Mughal structure built with this stone instead of red sandstone), pietra dura, inlay designs, and intricate latticework foreshadow many elements found in it's more famous neighbor that sits across the Yamuna River.
The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations - cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz in images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light to the interior passes through delicate jali screens of intricately carved white marble.
Many of Nur Jahan's relatives are interred in the mausoleum. The only asymmetrical element of the entire complex is that the cenotaphs (tombs) of her father and mother have been set side-by-side, offset from center, a formation replicated in the Taj Mahal.
The actual tomb is flanked by four red sandstone gates. The east gate is the primary entrance gate. . .
The north gate. . .
The south gate. . .
and the east gate (plus east gate detail). . .
One of the riverside lookout posts on the western side of the complex. . .
The marble tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg (with the fog-obscured southern gate on the left and the western gate on the right). . .
Some of the intricate wall details. . .
and precious stone inlay work. . .
A chance to just sit and contemplate one's surroundings is a truly precious commodity, especially in the early morning quiet. . .
Fatehpur Sikri: Dargah Mosque
The Fatehpur Sikri mosque (Jama Masjid) is still in use today. It was constructed along with the rest of Fatehpur Sikri in 1571. It is surrounded by huge walls. . .
The main entrance is through the 54m-high (130ft) Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate) built to commemorate Emperor Ackbar's military victory in Gujarat. This gate is thought to be the largest in all of Asia. It's size alone is stunning. . .the design details and proportions even more so. . .it's an entry gate truly fit for an emperor. . .
The grand central courtyard. . .you could easily play a game (or even two!) of cricket in this huge space. . .the white marble structure is the tomb of the aforementioned Shaikh Salim Chishti. It was completed in 1581. . .
The stone slabs mark the graves of the royal family members. . .
A couple more closer-up views of the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti. . .
A few of the interior spaces with their elaborate colonnades and archways and all the intricate sandsone carvings and paintwork that typify Mughal architecture. . .
This family wants a picture of me, so I think it's only fair that I get a picture of them. After a few (obviously understandable) hand signals, they oblige. . .
Fatehpur Sikri
Mughal Emperor Ackbar visited Fatehpur Sikri to consult the Sufi Saint Shaikh Salim Christi who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal throne. When the prophecy came true, Ackbar built the palace and city and moved his new capital here in 1571. However Sikri suffered from a lack of a sustainable water supply and the city was abandoned shortly after Ackbar's death in 1605. Nevertheless, Fatehpur Sikri remains a reminder of the Mughals at their architectural best. Fatehpur Sikri is about 40km (25mi) west of Agra. Fatehpur Sikri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Please add the following to my descriptions of all these photos: "I think this is ". Very few buildings are marked with any kind of sign, the palace complex itself is a bit of a maze, and I can't always match up guide book descriptions with actual structures.)
The Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Public Audience, where the emperor meets the general public. . .
A handful of views of the Palace of Jodh Bai, a collection of structures built around a central stone courtyard. . .
The Birbal Bhavan, the structure in the far background of the below photo and in the following three photos, was probably used by two of Akbar's senior wives. . .
A random little structure on the edge of the palace grounds. . .
The Palace of the Christian Wife, Mariam (who was the mother of Ackbar's successor Jehangir). . .
The Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences). . .
The ornately carved central column in the Diwan-i-Khas. This photo is not mine. I pull it off the web, as it's quite dark inside this building this morning and my photos do not come out. . .
It is believed that Ackbar sat/stood on top and debated his scholars who stood at the ends of the stone bridges emanating from this central column. Remember, everything you're seeing here is made out of sandstone. . .the skill of the craftsmen is truly awe-inspiring. . .
Maybe the treasury building (on the extreme left), maybe the Astrologer's Kiosk in the middle of frame, but for sure the 5-story structure towering over everything in the background is the Panch Mahal. The Panch Mahal was used exclusively by the ladies of the court as their observation point for all the public goings-on in the courtyard below. . .
The small reflecting pool in the courtyard is the Char Chaman tank. . .
One of the palace complex's entry gates. . .this would be the front door. . .
and this the back door. . .
It is unusual for a young Indian woman to agree to have her photo taken (not that I make a habit of approaching young Indian women!), so when one actually asks I do not hesitate. . .
Ackbar's Mausoleum
Sikandra, about 12 km (7mi) northwest of Agra, is the site of the last resting place of Mughal Emperor Ackbar the Great. The vast, red-ochre sandstone tomb was planned by Akbar himself, a custom which the Mughals followed religiously. Akbar's son Jehangir completed the construction of this pyramidal tomb in 1613.
The mausoleum is laid out in typical Mughal style: the tomb in the center surrounded by gardens and four flanking gates. Again, as with Itimad-ud-Daulah, the east gate shown below is the main entry gate to the mausoleum complex and is complete with three-story minarets. It is red sandstone with complementary white-marble inlay designs. . .
The view of the north gate through a small decorative arch. . .
and a few more views of the north gate. . .
The west gate. . .obviously not in very good shape. . .but then again it's 400 years old and may have been used for artillery practice by a certain colonial power in the mid-19th century. . .
The south gate. . .
The tomb itself. . .again red sandstone with marble accents and inlays. . .
This archway's intricate lattice work is made entirely of white marble. . .I know!. . .I suppose I wouldn't believe it either unless I saw it in person. . .oh wait. . .I do see it in person. . .right this moment in fact. . .and. . .it is marble. . .
Agra Fort
most of the following is borrowed from Wikipedia:
Agra Fort was originally a brick fort held by the Rajputs. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar Lodi (1487-1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted his court to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here and Agra assumed the importance of a 2nd capital. The Mughals defeated the Afghans and seized control of the fort in 1556. Realizing the importance of its central situation, Akbar decided to make it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558. His historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that this was a brick fort known as 'Badalgarh' . It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone. Architects laid the foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Some 1,444,000 builders worked on it for eight years, completing it in 1573. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the Yamuna River, and has a total perimeter of 2.4 km (1.4 mi). Agra Fort is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
OK. . .so it's the mid-16th century and you want to design a fort. Where do you start?
Well. . .you'd start with massive walls, some as high as 70 feet, and ring the entire fort with them. Of course the walls would certainly have to be double castellated ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by round bastions. . .we have an emperor to protect you know. . .
. . .and a moat!. . .you'd have to have a moat. . .wide and deep. . .and just for good measure you'd fill it with crocodiles. . .
. . .and lookout towers. . .you'd have to have lookout towers. . .spaced around the fort. . .really tall lookput towers. . .from which you could see any and all potential invading forces long before they reached any of your entry gates. . .
. . .and speaking of entry gates. . .you'd only have a couple of them. . .with relatively small openings so any invading forces couldn't storm through in anything other than small groups. . .say maybe a dozen soldiers at a time. . .
. . .an even better thought. . .you'd have mutiple layers of entry gates. . .and each gate would lead into a small courtyard. . .and the next gate would be at a right angle to the last so the courtyard would initially look like a deadend. . .just to confuse and infuriate the invaders. . . who would have to slow way down in order to figure out what to do next. . .does the term "sitting ducks" mean anything?. . .
. . .and now for the icing on the proverbial fort cake. . .each subsequent entry gate is going to be uphill from the previous one. . .so not only have you thinned out and strung out the number of invaders, slowed them down considerably if not outright stopped them in their track, confused and infuriated them, you are actually making them run (or at least trying to run) uphill in whatever heavy gear they happen to be wearing into battle. . .
. . .brilliant. . .absolutely brilliant. . .job well done. . .
I suspect your fort design will be copied over and over again, throughout the world, for the next couple of centuries. . .
Let's take a peek inside Agra Fort. . .well. . .everywhere except behind that wall. That area back there contains the mosque and it's closed to us persons of the unwashed masses persuasion. . .which is disappointing because the domed building(s) back there look pretty cool. . .
But here is what we can explore. We begin with the Jehangiri Mahal, a palace built by Ackbar for his son Jehangir. It blends Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, a reminder of the Mughals' Afghani roots. . .
The Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Public Audiences, where the emperor greeted and listened to the common folk. . .
The Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audiences, was reserved for important dignitaries or foreign representatives. . .today that would be me. . .
The Khas Mahal and Musamman Burj are the white-marble palace and octagonal tower where Shah Jahan, husband of Mumtaj Mahal and builder of the Taj Mahal (but more on that whole story later on), was imprisoned for eight years until his death in 1666. . .but at least he could see his wife's tomb from his prison tower (at least on a clear day). . .
I think these next three are of the back and back courtyard of the Jehangiri Palace. . .
Some of the beautiful detail work within the various rooms and structures around Agra Fort. This first is from the Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace). . .
marble. . .
marble. . .
marble. . .
marble. . .
sandstone. . .
The late afternoon sun makes a brief appearance just as I step into this room. The glow of the sun on the red sandstone is mesmerizing (probably more so in person but the photo actually comes out better than I expected). . .
and that's the end of the day at Agra Fort. . .
Local Fauna Update
Please add water buffalo and gazelle to the "Indigenous Critters Seen While in India" list. Thank you.
The water buffaloes are literally everywhere in this city and there are gazelles grazing on the garden lawns of Ackbar's Mausoleum.
and Finally. . .
Winter seems to have come a little early this year. December and January are notorious for bringing heavy fog to this part of India. There is heavy fog this morning and the skies never fully clear this afternoon. The hazy fog helps to keep the temperatures down a bit (welcome), but it also tends to shroud everything in a bit of shapeless gloom (unwelcome). Architecture and monuments such as these deserve bright sunshine and clear blue skies to bring forth all of their incredible design and details. I'm here for another day. I visit most of the above on Day 1. My fingers are crossed that tomorrow 's weather is better (or at the very least not any worse) because. . .
There is one more Mughal monument here in Agra. . .I think it's called the Taj Mahal. . .some "monument to love" or something. . .supposedly one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. . .probably worth at least a quick look. . .you know. . .since I'm already here. . .
But I think I'll save that visit for the next installment of "Taking on the Indian Subcontinent". . .
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